8 different species:
1. Ctenocephalides felis (cat flea)
2. Ctenocephalides canis (dog flea)
3. Pulex irritans (Human flea)
4. Spilopsyllus cuniculi (rabbit flea)
5. Xenopsylla cheopis (tropical rat flea)
6. Archaeopsyllus erinacei (hedgehog flea)
7. Ceratophyllus gallinae (bird flea)
8. Hystrichopsylla talpae (mole flea).
Black Carpet Beetle
Classification
Species category:Beg bug and Flea
Scientific name:Siphonaptera
Family: Boreidae unicolor
Description
Adults are 1-8mm in length; brownish in colour. The larvae require precise conditions which are associated with the habitats and nesting habits of the hosts rather than the characteristics of their blood. Fleas are laterally flattened (side to side), making it easier to navigate through hair and fur. Fleas are prevalent all around the world. Fleas are most commonly found on mammals, although birds may also be attacked. They show a certain degree of host preference, but are by no means host specific and will feed on other animals in the absence of the normal host.
Risks
This insect damages animal based materials in homes e.g. wool, silk, fur etc… They eat large irregular shaped holes in a wide variety of fabrics. The larvae also leave behind shells as they moult, which are a known cause of allergies in some humans. They are often spotted in the home as they crawl across the surface of fabrics and tend to feed at the top of the carpet rather than down in the base fibres. Commonly found feeding on dried foods also, they contaminate it with faeces and discarded shells.
Behavior
Black ants have defined roles within their colony. Each nest has one queen (monogenic). The worker ants (sterile females), build the nest, look after larvae, and forage for food. The queens (fertile females) remain mainly in the nest, mating with fertile males. Before mating, the ants take to the sky. Winged reproductive males and females are involved in a mass flight. The males die after mating, but the females shed their wings and burrow in the ground where they overwinter.